By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech softball team takes a break in its Ohio Valley Conference campaign, traveling to Samford for a doubleheader with the Bulldogs Wednesday afternoon. Game one is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CT.
Live stats and a video stream are available for both games. CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STATS. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO.
The Golden Eagles (13-11, 2-1) enter the twin bill scorching having won seven of their last nine games, including a successful opening weekend to the club's OVC slate. Tech marched into Nashville and captured two out of three over Tennessee State, outscoring the Tigers 21-6 in the trio of contests.
Sophomore Danielle Liberatore (8-5) came up huge in the opening set, dominating from inside the circle to the tune of two-complete game shutouts. In 11 innings of work, the 5-foot-10 southpaw surrendered just seven hits (all of them singles), walked only two, and struck out 15 Tigers.
The outstanding showing led Liberatore to some impressive hardware as the Peotone, Ill. native was named the adidas® Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week. Liberatore has now won five-straight starts, lowering her ERA to a team-leading 2.16 in the process. The sophomore hurler has also whiffed 96 batters in 81 innings on the slab this season, a mark that puts her in second in the conference behind SIUE's Haley Chambers.
The lumber wasn't too shabby as well in the three-game set with Tennessee State, with the Golden Eagles putting up 29 hits (seven extra-base hits) over the course of the three games.
Senior Hannah Eldridge capped the set in grand fashion in Sunday's finale, ending the series with a perfect 3-for-3 showing with a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored. Eldridge continues to put up stellar numbers at the dish this season as the Fayetteville, Tenn. native is second on the Golden Eagles with a .357 average, trailing only sophomore Alyssa Richards' impressive .364 clip.
Not to be lost in the weekend action was yet another round tripper for junior Olivia Bennett. The power display from 5-foot-4 outfielder has proven to be a theme so far this season as Bennett is currently in a tie with Maggie Glass of Murray State for the most home runs and RBI in the OVC with seven and 20 respectively.
Samford (18-8) welcomes Tech in on a heater in its own right, as the Bulldogs are riding a three-game win streak into Wednesday's double dip after sweeping Jacksonville University over the weekend. The Bulldogs outscored the Dolphins 19-4 in the three-game set, using a big series from inside the circle out of red-shirt junior Mollie Hanson (9-4) to dispose of JU.
The Dothan, Ala. native recorded two wins and a save in the three tilts, allowing only one earned run in 12 and two-thirds innings of work. Hanson sports a team-best nine wins, a mark that puts her third in the Southern Conference. Sophomore Grey Adams (6-1) has looked sharp as well this season, leading the Bulldogs with a 2.85 ERA.
Samford has also shown they can swing it this year with a .326 team batting average to put themselves second in the SoCon. Seven Bulldogs are hitting at least .325, led by junior Megan Dowdy's .421 average, while fellow junior Caitlin Bice has impressed as well with a .400 average to go along with five home runs and a team-best 19 RBI.
TTU leads the all-time series with Samford 19-10, as the two schools used to go at it regularly with the Bulldogs formerly calling the Ohio Valley Conference home. Wednesday will mark the first meeting between the two since 2008, a year that saw the clubs split four contests.
